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Shansky RM. Behavioral neuroscience's inevitable SABV growing pains. Trends Neurosci 2024:S0166-2236(24)00121-8. [PMID: 39034262 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
The field of rodent behavioral neuroscience is undergoing two major sea changes: an ever-growing technological revolution, and worldwide calls to consider sex as a biological variable (SABV) in experimental design. Both have enormous potential to improve the precision and rigor with which the brain can be studied, but the convergence of these shifts in scientific practice has exposed critical limitations in classic and widely used behavioral paradigms. While our tools have advanced, our behavioral metrics - mostly developed in males and often allowing for only binary outcomes - have not. This opinion article explores how this disconnect has presented challenges for the accurate depiction and interpretation of sex differences in brain function, arguing for the expansion of current behavioral constructs to better account for behavioral diversity.
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2
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Atwal N, Sokolaj E, Mitchell VA, Winters BL, Vaughan CW. Disrupted stress-induced analgesia in a neuropathic pain state is rescued by the endocannabinoid degradation inhibitor JZL195. J Neurochem 2024. [PMID: 38922705 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Acute stress normally engages descending brain pathways to produce an antinociceptive response, known as stress-induced analgesia. Paradoxically, these descending pain modulatory pathways are also involved in the maintenance of the abnormal pain associated with chronic neuropathic pain. It remains unclear how stress-induced analgesia is affected by neuropathic pain states. We therefore examined the impact of a chronic constriction nerve-injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain on restraint stress-induced analgesia in C57BL/6 mice. Thirty minutes of restraint stress produced analgesia in the hotplate thermal nociceptive assay that was less in CCI compared to control mice who underwent a sham-surgery. In sham but not CCI mice, stress-induced analgesia was reduced by the opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone. The cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist AM281 did not affect stress-induced analgesia in either sham or CCI mice. Low-dose pre-treatment with the dual fatty acid amide hydrolase and monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitor JZL195 increased stress-induced analgesia in CCI but not sham mice. The JZL195 enhancement of stress-induced analgesia in CCI mice was abolished by AM281 but was unaffected by naltrexone. These findings indicate that the acute opioid-mediated analgesic response to a psychological stressor is disrupted in a nerve-injury model of neuropathic pain. Importantly, this impairment of stress-induced analgesia was rescued by blockade of endocannabinoid breakdown via a cannabinoid CB1 receptor dependent mechanism. These findings suggest that subthreshold treatment with endocannabinoid degradation blockers could be used to alleviate the disruption of endogenous pain control systems in a neuropathic pain state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Atwal
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Pain Management Research Institute, Kolling Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Eddy Sokolaj
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Pain Management Research Institute, Kolling Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Vanessa A Mitchell
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Pain Management Research Institute, Kolling Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bryony L Winters
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Pain Management Research Institute, Kolling Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Christopher W Vaughan
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Pain Management Research Institute, Kolling Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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3
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Escobedo A, Holloway SA, Votoupal M, Cone AL, Skelton H, Legaria AA, Ndiokho I, Floyd T, Kravitz AV, Bruchas MR, Norris AJ. Glutamatergic supramammillary nucleus neurons respond to threatening stressors and promote active coping. eLife 2024; 12:RP90972. [PMID: 38829200 PMCID: PMC11147510 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Threat-response neural circuits are conserved across species and play roles in normal behavior and psychiatric diseases. Maladaptive changes in these neural circuits contribute to stress, mood, and anxiety disorders. Active coping in response to stressors is a psychosocial factor associated with resilience against stress-induced mood and anxiety disorders. The neural circuitry underlying active coping is poorly understood, but the functioning of these circuits could be key for overcoming anxiety and related disorders. The supramammillary nucleus (SuM) has been suggested to be engaged by threat. SuM has many projections and a poorly understood diversity of neural populations. In studies using mice, we identified a unique population of glutamatergic SuM neurons (SuMVGLUT2+::POA) based on projection to the preoptic area of the hypothalamus (POA) and found SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons have extensive arborizations. SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons project to brain areas that mediate features of the stress and threat responses including the paraventricular nucleus thalamus (PVT), periaqueductal gray (PAG), and habenula (Hb). Thus, SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons are positioned as a hub, connecting to areas implicated in regulating stress responses. Here we report SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons are recruited by diverse threatening stressors, and recruitment correlated with active coping behaviors. We found that selective photoactivation of the SuMVGLUT2+::POA population drove aversion but not anxiety like behaviors. Activation of SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons in the absence of acute stressors evoked active coping like behaviors and drove instrumental behavior. Also, activation of SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons was sufficient to convert passive coping strategies to active behaviors during acute stress. In contrast, we found activation of GABAergic (VGAT+) SuM neurons (SuMVGAT+) neurons did not alter drive aversion or active coping, but termination of photostimulation was followed by increased mobility in the forced swim test. These findings establish a new node in stress response circuitry that has projections to many brain areas and evokes flexible active coping behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Escobedo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Salli-Ann Holloway
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Megan Votoupal
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoUnited States
| | - Aaron L Cone
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Hannah Skelton
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Alex A Legaria
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Imeh Ndiokho
- Medical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeUnited States
| | - Tasheia Floyd
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Alexxai V Kravitz
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Center for Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Department of Pharmacology University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Department of Bioengineering University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Aaron J Norris
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
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4
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De Preter CC, Heinricher MM. The 'in's and out's' of descending pain modulation from the rostral ventromedial medulla. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:447-460. [PMID: 38749825 PMCID: PMC11168876 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
The descending-pain modulating circuit controls the experience of pain by modulating transmission of sensory signals through the dorsal horn. This circuit's key output node, the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), integrates 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' inputs that regulate functionally defined RVM cell types, 'OFF-cells' and 'ON-cells', which respectively suppress or facilitate pain-related sensory processing. While recent advances have sought molecular definition of RVM cell types, conflicting behavioral findings highlight challenges involved in aligning functional and molecularly defined types. This review summarizes current understanding, derived primarily from rodent studies but with corroborating evidence from human imaging, of the role of RVM populations in pain modulation and persistent pain states and explores recent advances outlining inputs to, and outputs from, RVM pain-modulating neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlynn C De Preter
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Mary M Heinricher
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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5
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Kang JWM, Davanzo OI, Emvalomenos GM, Mychasiuk R, Henderson LA, Keay KA. Infraorbital nerve injury triggers sex-specific neuroimmune responses in the peripheral trigeminal pathway and common pain behaviours. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 118:480-498. [PMID: 38499209 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Trigeminal neuropathic pain is emotionally distressing and disabling. It presents with allodynia, hyperalgesia and dysaesthesia. In preclinical models it has been assumed that cephalic nerve constriction injury shows identical molecular, cellular, and sex dependent neuroimmune changes as observed in extra-cephalic injury models. This study sought empirical evidence for such assumptions using the infraorbital nerve chronic constriction model (ION-CCI). We compared the behavioural consequences of nerve constriction with: (i) the temporal patterns of recruitment of macrophages and T-lymphocytes at the site of nerve injury and in the trigeminal ganglion; and (ii) the degree of demyelination and axonal reorganisation in the injured nerve. Our data demonstrated that simply testing for allodynia and hyperalgesia as is done in extra-cephalic neuropathic pain models does not provide access to the range of injury-specific nociceptive responses and behaviours reflective of the experience of trigeminal neuropathic pain. Similarly, trigeminal neuroimmune changes evoked by nerve injury are not the same as those identified in models of extra-cephalic neuropathy. Specifically, the timing, magnitude, and pattern of ION-CCI evoked macrophage and T-lymphocyte activity differs between the sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W M Kang
- School of Medical Sciences [Neuroscience], and the Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Olivia I Davanzo
- School of Medical Sciences [Neuroscience], and the Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Gaelle M Emvalomenos
- School of Medical Sciences [Neuroscience], and the Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Richelle Mychasiuk
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Luke A Henderson
- School of Medical Sciences [Neuroscience], and the Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Kevin A Keay
- School of Medical Sciences [Neuroscience], and the Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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6
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Zhang H, Zhu Z, Ma WX, Kong LX, Yuan PC, Bu LF, Han J, Huang ZL, Wang YQ. The contribution of periaqueductal gray in the regulation of physiological and pathological behaviors. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1380171. [PMID: 38650618 PMCID: PMC11034386 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1380171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Periaqueductal gray (PAG), an integration center for neuronal signals, is located in the midbrain and regulates multiple physiological and pathological behaviors, including pain, defensive and aggressive behaviors, anxiety and depression, cardiovascular response, respiration, and sleep-wake behaviors. Due to the different neuroanatomical connections and functional characteristics of the four functional columns of PAG, different subregions of PAG synergistically regulate various instinctual behaviors. In the current review, we summarized the role and possible neurobiological mechanism of different subregions of PAG in the regulation of pain, defensive and aggressive behaviors, anxiety, and depression from the perspective of the up-down neuronal circuits of PAG. Furthermore, we proposed the potential clinical applications of PAG. Knowledge of these aspects will give us a better understanding of the key role of PAG in physiological and pathological behaviors and provide directions for future clinical treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Joint International Research Laboratory of Sleep, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Screening and Re-evaluation of Active Compounds of Herbal Medicines in Southern Anhui, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center for Polysaccharide Drugs, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
| | - Zhe Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Joint International Research Laboratory of Sleep, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei-Xiang Ma
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Joint International Research Laboratory of Sleep, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling-Xi Kong
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Joint International Research Laboratory of Sleep, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping-Chuan Yuan
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Screening and Re-evaluation of Active Compounds of Herbal Medicines in Southern Anhui, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center for Polysaccharide Drugs, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
| | - Li-Fang Bu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Joint International Research Laboratory of Sleep, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Han
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Screening and Re-evaluation of Active Compounds of Herbal Medicines in Southern Anhui, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center for Polysaccharide Drugs, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
| | - Zhi-Li Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Joint International Research Laboratory of Sleep, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi-Qun Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Joint International Research Laboratory of Sleep, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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7
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Mitchell CS, Campbell EJ, Fisher SD, Stanton LM, Burton NJ, Pearl AJ, McNally GP, Bains JS, Füzesi T, Graham BA, Manning EE, Dayas CV. Optogenetic recruitment of hypothalamic corticotrophin-releasing-hormone (CRH) neurons reduces motivational drive. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:8. [PMID: 38191479 PMCID: PMC10774335 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02710-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Impaired motivational drive is a key feature of depression. Chronic stress is a known antecedent to the development of depression in humans and depressive-like states in animals. Whilst there is a clear relationship between stress and motivational drive, the mechanisms underpinning this association remain unclear. One hypothesis is that the endocrine system, via corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN; PVNCRH), initiates a hormonal cascade resulting in glucocorticoid release, and that excessive glucocorticoids change brain circuit function to produce depression-related symptoms. Another mostly unexplored hypothesis is that the direct activity of PVNCRH neurons and their input to other stress- and reward-related brain regions drives these behaviors. To further understand the direct involvement of PVNCRH neurons in motivation, we used optogenetic stimulation to activate these neurons 1 h/day for 5 consecutive days and showed increased acute stress-related behaviors and long-lasting deficits in the motivational drive for sucrose. This was associated with increased Fos-protein expression in the lateral hypothalamus (LH). Direct stimulation of the PVNCRH inputs in the LH produced a similar pattern of effects on sucrose motivation. Together, these data suggest that PVNCRH neuronal activity may be directly responsible for changes in motivational drive and that these behavioral changes may, in part, be driven by PVNCRH synaptic projections to the LH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin S Mitchell
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia
| | - Erin J Campbell
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia
| | - Simon D Fisher
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia
| | - Laura M Stanton
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia
| | - Nicholas J Burton
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia
| | - Amy J Pearl
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia
| | - Gavan P McNally
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Jaideep S Bains
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Tamás Füzesi
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Brett A Graham
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia
| | - Elizabeth E Manning
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia.
| | - Christopher V Dayas
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
- Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Sydney, NSW, 2305, Australia.
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8
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Tang QQ, Wu Y, Tao Q, Shen Y, An X, Liu D, Xu Z. Direct paraventricular thalamus-basolateral amygdala circuit modulates neuropathic pain and emotional anxiety. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:455-466. [PMID: 37848732 PMCID: PMC10724280 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01748-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
The comorbidity of chronic pain and mental dysfunctions such as anxiety disorders has long been recognized, but the underlying mechanisms remained poorly understood. Here, using a mouse model of neuropathic pain, we demonstrated that the thalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVT) played a critical role in chronic pain-induced anxiety-like behavioral abnormalities. Fiber photometry and electrophysiology demonstrated that chronic pain increased the activities in PVT glutamatergic neurons. Chemogenetic manipulation revealed that suppression of PVT glutamatergic neurons relieved pain-like behavior and anxiety-like behaviors. Conversely, selective activation of PVT glutamatergic neurons showed algesic and anxiogenic effects. Furthermore, the elevated excitability of PVT glutamatergic neurons resulted in increased excitatory inputs to the basolateral complex (BLA) neurons. Optogenetic manipulation of the PVT-BLA pathway bilaterally modulates both the pain-like behavior and anxiety-like phenotypes. These findings shed light on how the PVT-BLA pathway contributed to the processing of pain-like behavior and maladaptive anxiety, and targeting this pathway might be a straightforward therapeutic strategy to both alleviate nociceptive hypersensitivity and rescue anxiety behaviors in chronic pain conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian-Qian Tang
- Department of Anesthesiology, the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Tao
- Department of Anesthesiology, the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanan Shen
- Department of Anesthesiology, the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaohu An
- Department of Anesthesiology, the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Di Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Zifeng Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai, China.
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9
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Coizet V, Al Tannir R, Pautrat A, Overton PG. Separation of Channels Subserving Approach and Avoidance/Escape at the Level of the Basal Ganglia and Related Brainstem Structures. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:1473-1490. [PMID: 37594168 PMCID: PMC11097992 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230818154903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The basal ganglia have the key function of directing our behavior in the context of events from our environment and/or our internal state. This function relies on afferents targeting the main input structures of the basal ganglia, entering bids for action selection at the level of the striatum or signals for behavioral interruption at the level of the subthalamic nucleus, with behavioral reselection facilitated by dopamine signaling. Numerous experiments have studied action selection in relation to inputs from the cerebral cortex. However, less is known about the anatomical and functional link between the basal ganglia and the brainstem. In this review, we describe how brainstem structures also project to the main input structures of the basal ganglia, namely the striatum, the subthalamic nucleus and midbrain dopaminergic neurons, in the context of approach and avoidance (including escape from threat), two fundamental, mutually exclusive behavioral choices in an animal's repertoire in which the brainstem is strongly involved. We focus on three particularly well-described loci involved in approach and avoidance, namely the superior colliculus, the parabrachial nucleus and the periaqueductal grey nucleus. We consider what is known about how these structures are related to the basal ganglia, focusing on their projections toward the striatum, dopaminergic neurons and subthalamic nucleus, and explore the functional consequences of those interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Véronique Coizet
- Grenoble Institute of Neuroscience, University Grenoble Alpes, Bâtiment E.J. Safra - Chemin Fortuné Ferrini - 38700 La Tronche France;
| | - Racha Al Tannir
- Grenoble Institute of Neuroscience, University Grenoble Alpes, Bâtiment E.J. Safra - Chemin Fortuné Ferrini - 38700 La Tronche France;
| | - Arnaud Pautrat
- Grenoble Institute of Neuroscience, University Grenoble Alpes, Bâtiment E.J. Safra - Chemin Fortuné Ferrini - 38700 La Tronche France;
| | - Paul G. Overton
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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10
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de Kloet ER, Joëls M. The cortisol switch between vulnerability and resilience. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:20-34. [PMID: 36599967 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01934-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
In concert with neuropeptides and transmitters, the end products of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the glucocorticoid hormones cortisol and corticosterone (CORT), promote resilience: i.e., the ability to cope with threats, adversity, and trauma. To exert this protective action, CORT activates mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) that operate in a complementary manner -as an on/off switch- to coordinate circadian events, stress-coping, and adaptation. The evolutionary older limbic MR facilitates contextual memory retrieval and supports an on-switch in the selection of stress-coping styles at a low cost. The rise in circulating CORT concentration after stress subsequently activates a GR-mediated off-switch underlying recovery of homeostasis by providing the energy for restraining the primary stress reactions and promoting cognitive control over emotional reactivity. GR activation facilitates contextual memory storage of the experience to enable future stress-coping. Such complementary MR-GR-mediated actions involve rapid non-genomic and slower gene-mediated mechanisms; they are time-dependent, conditional, and sexually dimorphic, and depend on genetic background and prior experience. If coping fails, GR activation impairs cognitive control and promotes emotional arousal which eventually may compromise resilience. Such breakdown of resilience involves a transition to a chronic stress construct, where information processing is crashed; it leads to an imbalanced MR-GR switch and hence increased vulnerability. Novel MR-GR modulators are becoming available that may reset a dysregulated stress response system to reinstate the cognitive flexibility required for resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Ronald de Kloet
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Leiden/Amsterdam Center of Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Marian Joëls
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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11
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Nieves GM, Bravo M, Bath KG. Early life adversity ablates sex differences in active versus passive threat responding in mice. Stress 2023; 26:2244598. [PMID: 37624104 PMCID: PMC10529224 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2023.2244598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) heightens the risk for anxiety disorders (which are characterized by heightened fear and avoidance behaviors), with females being twice as likely as males to develop pathology. Pavlovian fear conditioning tasks have been used to study possible mechanisms supporting endophenotypes of pathology. Identification of sex and ELA selective effects on the nature of behavioral responding in these paradigms may provide a unique window into coping strategies in response to learned fear to guide more mechanistic studies. The goals of this study were two-fold; First, to test if male and female mice employed different coping strategies in response to threat learning using different conditioning parameters (low, medium, and high intensity foot shocks). Second, to test if ELA in the form of limited bedding and nesting (LBN) altered the behavioral response of mice to conditioning. Mice received 6 tone/foot-shock pairings at one of three different foot-shock intensities (0.35 mA; 0.57 mA; 0.7 mA). Freezing, darting, and foot-shock reactivity were measured across trials. During conditioning, control-reared female mice exhibited significantly higher rates of darting behavior compared to control males at nearly all shock intensities tested. LBN rearing decreased the proportion of darting females to levels observed in males. Thus, ELA in the form of LBN significantly diminished the recruitment of active versus passive coping strategies in female mice but did not generally change male responding. Additional work will be required to understand the neural basis of these behavioral effects. Findings extending from this work have the potential to shed light on how ELA impacts trajectories of regional brain development with implications for sex-selective risk for behavioral endophenotypes associated with pathology and possibly symptom presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Manzano Nieves
- Department of Psychiatry, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, and Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021
| | - Marilyn Bravo
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095
| | - Kevin G. Bath
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute/Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY, 10032
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical College, New York, NY 1003
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12
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Hudson M, Johnson MI. Past Adversity Influencing Now (PAIN): perspectives on the impact of temporal language on the persistence of pain. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2023; 4:1244390. [PMID: 37790120 PMCID: PMC10544332 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2023.1244390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Persistent pain is a significant healthcare issue, often unresponsive to traditional treatments. We argue for incorporating non-biomedical perspectives in understanding pain, promoting more comprehensive solutions. This article explores how language, specifically time-related terms, may affect the persistence (stickiness) of pain. We delve into how language influences one's experience of the world, especially in understanding pain through spatial metaphors. Notably, time perceptions differ across languages and cultures and there is no absolute construct of temporal pain experience. In English, time is viewed linearly as past, present, and future. We introduce a framework called Past Adversity Influencing Now (PAIN) which includes various temporal phases of pain; Past Perfect, Past Imperfect, Present, Future Imperfect, and Future Perfect. We suggest that past negative memories (emotional memory images) can "trap" individuals in a "sticky" pain state. We speculate that the process of diagnosing pain as "chronic" may solidify this "stickiness", drawing from the ancient Greek idea of "logos", where pain communicates a message across time and space needing recognition. Our PAIN framework encourages examining pain through a temporal lens, guiding individuals towards a more positive future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Hudson
- Centre for Pain Research, School of Health, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, United Kingdom
- Mind Help Limited, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Mark I. Johnson
- Centre for Pain Research, School of Health, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, United Kingdom
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13
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Chomanskis Ž, Jonkus V, Danielius T, Paulauskas T, Orvydaitė M, Melaika K, Rukšėnas O, Hendrixson V, Ročka S. Hypotensive Effect of Electric Stimulation of Caudal Ventrolateral Medulla in Freely Moving Rats. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2023; 59:1046. [PMID: 37374250 DOI: 10.3390/medicina59061046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: An altered sympathetic function is established in primary arterial hypertension (PAH) development. Therefore, PAH could be targeted by applying an electric current to the medulla where reflex centers for blood pressure control reside. This study aims to evaluate the electric caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM) stimulation effect on blood pressure and animal survivability in a freely moving rat model. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 Wistar rats aged 12-16 weeks were randomly assigned to either: the experimental group (n = 10; electrode tip implanted in CVLM region) or the control group (n = 10; tip implanted 4 mm above the CVLM in the cerebellum). After a period of recovery (4 days), an experimental phase ensued, divided into an "OFF stimulation" period (5-7 days post-surgery) and an "ON stimulation" period (8-14 days post-surgery). Results: Three animals (15%, one in the control, two in the experimental group) dropped out due to postoperative complications. Arterial pressure in the experimental group rats during the "OFF stimulation" period decreased by 8.23 mm Hg (p = 0.001) and heart rate by 26.93 beats/min (p = 0.008). Conclusions: From a physiological perspective, CVLM could be an effective deep brain stimulation (DBS) target for drug-resistant hypertension: able to influence the baroreflex arc directly, having no known direct integrative or neuroendocrine function. Targeting the baroreflex regulatory center, but not its sensory or effector parts, could lead to a more predictable effect and stability of the control system. Although targeting neural centers in the medullary region is considered dangerous and prone to complications, it could open a new vista for deep brain stimulation therapy. A possible change in electrode design would be required to apply CVLM DBS in clinical trials in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Žilvinas Chomanskis
- Clinic of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, LT-01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Vytautas Jonkus
- Faculty of Physics, Vilnius University, LT-01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Tadas Danielius
- Institute of Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Vilnius University, LT-01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Tomas Paulauskas
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, LT-01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Monika Orvydaitė
- Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, LT-01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | | | - Osvaldas Rukšėnas
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, LT-01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Vaiva Hendrixson
- Department of Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, LT-01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Saulius Ročka
- Clinic of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, LT-01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
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14
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Ciapponi C, Li Y, Osorio Becerra DA, Rodarie D, Casellato C, Mapelli L, D’Angelo E. Variations on the theme: focus on cerebellum and emotional processing. Front Syst Neurosci 2023; 17:1185752. [PMID: 37234065 PMCID: PMC10206087 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2023.1185752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum operates exploiting a complex modular organization and a unified computational algorithm adapted to different behavioral contexts. Recent observations suggest that the cerebellum is involved not just in motor but also in emotional and cognitive processing. It is therefore critical to identify the specific regional connectivity and microcircuit properties of the emotional cerebellum. Recent studies are highlighting the differential regional localization of genes, molecules, and synaptic mechanisms and microcircuit wiring. However, the impact of these regional differences is not fully understood and will require experimental investigation and computational modeling. This review focuses on the cellular and circuit underpinnings of the cerebellar role in emotion. And since emotion involves an integration of cognitive, somatomotor, and autonomic activity, we elaborate on the tradeoff between segregation and distribution of these three main functions in the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Ciapponi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Yuhe Li
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Dimitri Rodarie
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Centro Ricerche Enrico Fermi, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Casellato
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Lisa Mapelli
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Egidio D’Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Brain Connectivity Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
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15
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Löw A, Lotar Rihtarić M, Vrselja I. Resource loss, coping strategies and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in survivors of the 2020 Croatia earthquake. BMC Psychol 2023; 11:128. [PMID: 37095565 PMCID: PMC10125855 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-023-01176-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Conservation of resources theory (COR) establishes a link between resource loss and the stress response. The aim of this study was to assess the contribution of resource loss in the form of home damage and the choice of active or passive coping strategies to PTSD symptoms in survivors of the 2020 Petrinja (Croatia) earthquake. METHODS A total of 374 adults (29.9% men) aged 18-64 years living in the counties surrounding the epicenter of the Petrinja (Croatia) earthquake participated in an online cross-sectional survey. The questionnaire included the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Coping Inventory, and the binary item assessing whether or not the participants' home was damaged. RESULTS Hierarchical regression analysis showed that home damage was a significant predictor of PTSD symptoms. Participants whose homes were damaged by the earthquake were significantly more likely to use passive coping strategies, namely avoidance and emotional venting, and one active coping strategy, action, than those whose homes were spared. Finally, more frequent use of passive coping was associated with a higher risk of PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS The study corroborates the COR theory link between resource loss and the stress response, as well as the general consensus that passive coping is a less adaptive strategy than active coping. In addition to passive coping, individuals who lacked resources may have been inclined to take some active steps because they either needed to repair or relocate their homes and because most buildings were only moderately to minimally damaged in the Petrinja earthquake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajana Löw
- Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb, University Campus Borongaj, Borongajska cesta 83f, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Martina Lotar Rihtarić
- Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb, University Campus Borongaj, Borongajska cesta 83f, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Ivana Vrselja
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
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16
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Potegal M, Nordman JC. Non-angry aggressive arousal and angriffsberietschaft: A narrative review of the phenomenology and physiology of proactive/offensive aggression motivation and escalation in people and other animals. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105110. [PMID: 36822384 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Human aggression typologies largely correspond with those for other animals. While there may be no non-human equivalent of angry reactive aggression, we propose that human proactive aggression is similar to offense in other animals' dominance contests for territory or social status. Like predation/hunting, but unlike defense, offense and proactive aggression are positively reinforcing, involving dopamine release in accumbens. The drive these motivational states provide must suffice to overcome fear associated with initiating risky fights. We term the neural activity motivating proactive aggression "non-angry aggressive arousal", but use "angriffsberietschaft" for offense motivation in other animals to acknowledge possible differences. Temporal variation in angriffsberietschaft partitions fights into bouts; engendering reduced anti-predator vigilance, redirected aggression and motivational over-ride. Increased aggressive arousal drives threat-to-attack transitions, as in verbal-to-physical escalation and beyond that, into hyper-aggression. Proactive aggression and offense involve related neural activity states. Cingulate, insular and prefrontal cortices energize/modulate aggression through a subcortical core containing subnuclei for each aggression type. These proposals will deepen understanding of aggression across taxa, guiding prevention/intervention for human violence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacob C Nordman
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, USA.
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17
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Rubin DC, Bell CF. Tonic immobility (freezing) during sexual and physical assaults produces stronger memory effects than other characteristics of the assaults. Memory 2023; 31:678-688. [PMID: 36933228 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2023.2188642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
Tonic immobility (TI) is a phylogenetically conserved, passive, obligatory defense mechanism commonly engaged during sexual and physical assaults. During TI, people become immobile while remaining conscious and later reexperience intrusive memories of both their assault and of its accompanying immobility. Here we show that this well-studied biological process has powerful effects on memory and other processes. Participants had experienced either a serious sexual (n = 234) or physical (n = 137) assault. For both the assault and its accompanying immobility, the standard measure of the peritraumatic severity of TI correlated between .40 and .65 with post-assault effects on memory, including memory of the assault and memory of the immobility, the two memory-based self-concept measures of self-blame and event centrality, and post-assault anxiety and depression. The correlations with TI were much higher than other peritraumatic characteristics commonly used to predict and describe posttraumatic effects in assaults and other traumas. The results suggest that TI should be considered for a broader, more biologically based and ecologically valid understanding of the effects of trauma on memory and memory-based reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Rubin
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.,Center on Autobiographical Memory Research, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Carolyn F Bell
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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18
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Wang F, Chen Y, Lin Y, Wang X, Li K, Han Y, Wu J, Shi X, Zhu Z, Long C, Hu X, Duan S, Gao Z. A parabrachial to hypothalamic pathway mediates defensive behavior. eLife 2023; 12:85450. [PMID: 36930206 PMCID: PMC10023160 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Defensive behaviors are critical for animal's survival. Both the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) have been shown to be involved in defensive behaviors. However, whether there are direct connections between them to mediate defensive behaviors remains unclear. Here, by retrograde and anterograde tracing, we uncover that cholecystokinin (CCK)-expressing neurons in the lateral PBN (LPBCCK) directly project to the PVN. By in vivo fiber photometry recording, we find that LPBCCK neurons actively respond to various threat stimuli. Selective photoactivation of LPBCCK neurons promotes aversion and defensive behaviors. Conversely, photoinhibition of LPBCCK neurons attenuates rat or looming stimuli-induced flight responses. Optogenetic activation of LPBCCK axon terminals within the PVN or PVN glutamatergic neurons promotes defensive behaviors. Whereas chemogenetic and pharmacological inhibition of local PVN neurons prevent LPBCCK-PVN pathway activation-driven flight responses. These data suggest that LPBCCK neurons recruit downstream PVN neurons to actively engage in flight responses. Our study identifies a previously unrecognized role for the LPBCCK-PVN pathway in controlling defensive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Labotatory of Brain-machine intelligence, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Yuge Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Labotatory of Brain-machine intelligence, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Yuxin Lin
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Labotatory of Brain-machine intelligence, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Xuze Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Labotatory of Brain-machine intelligence, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Kaiyuan Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Labotatory of Brain-machine intelligence, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Yong Han
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Labotatory of Brain-machine intelligence, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Jintao Wu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Labotatory of Brain-machine intelligence, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Xingyi Shi
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Labotatory of Brain-machine intelligence, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Zhenggang Zhu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Labotatory of Brain-machine intelligence, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Chaoying Long
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Labotatory of Brain-machine intelligence, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Xiaojun Hu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Shumin Duan
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Labotatory of Brain-machine intelligence, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Institute for Translational Brain Research, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- The Institute of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Zhejiang University City CollegeHangzhouChina
- Chuanqi Research and Development Center of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Zhihua Gao
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Labotatory of Brain-machine intelligence, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
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19
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Alam MJ, Chen JDZ. Electrophysiology as a Tool to Decipher the Network Mechanism of Visceral Pain in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:627. [PMID: 36832115 PMCID: PMC9955347 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13040627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Abdominal pain, including visceral pain, is prevalent in functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders (FGIDs), affecting the overall quality of a patient's life. Neural circuits in the brain encode, store, and transfer pain information across brain regions. Ascending pain signals actively shape brain dynamics; in turn, the descending system responds to the pain through neuronal inhibition. Pain processing mechanisms in patients are currently mainly studied with neuroimaging techniques; however, these techniques have a relatively poor temporal resolution. A high temporal resolution method is warranted to decode the dynamics of the pain processing mechanisms. Here, we reviewed crucial brain regions that exhibited pain-modulatory effects in an ascending and descending manner. Moreover, we discussed a uniquely well-suited method, namely extracellular electrophysiology, that captures natural language from the brain with high spatiotemporal resolution. This approach allows parallel recording of large populations of neurons in interconnected brain areas and permits the monitoring of neuronal firing patterns and comparative characterization of the brain oscillations. In addition, we discussed the contribution of these oscillations to pain states. In summary, using innovative, state-of-the-art methods, the large-scale recordings of multiple neurons will guide us to better understanding of pain mechanisms in FGIDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Jahangir Alam
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jiande D. Z. Chen
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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20
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Detailed organisation of the human midbrain periaqueductal grey revealed using ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging. Neuroimage 2023; 266:119828. [PMID: 36549431 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The midbrain periaqueductal grey (PAG) is a critical region for the mediation of pain-related behavioural responses. Neuronal tract tracing techniques in experimental animal studies have demonstrated that the lateral column of the PAG (lPAG) displays a crude somatotopy, which is thought to be critical for the selection of contextually appropriate behavioural responses, without the need for higher brain input. In addition to the different behavioural responses to cutaneous and muscle pain - active withdrawal versus passive coping - there is evidence that cutaneous pain is processed in the region of the lPAG and muscle pain in the adjacent ventrolateral PAG (vlPAG). Given the fundamental nature of these behavioural responses to cutaneous and muscle pain, these PAG circuits are assumed to have been preserved, though yet to be definitively documented in humans. Using ultra-high field (7-Tesla) functional magnetic resonance imaging we determined the locations of signal intensity changes in the PAG during noxious cutaneous heat stimuli and muscle pain in healthy control participants. Images were processed and blood oxygen level dependant (BOLD) signal changes within the PAG determined. It was observed that noxious cutaneous stimulation of the lip, cheek, and ear evoked maximal increases in BOLD activation in the rostral contralateral PAG, whereas noxious cutaneous stimulation of the thumb and toe evoked increases in the caudal contralateral PAG. Analysis of individual participants demonstrated that these activations were located in the lPAG. Furthermore, we found that deep muscular pain evoked the greatest increases in signal intensity in the vlPAG. These data suggest that the crude somatotopic organization of the PAG may be phyletically preserved between experimental animals and humans, with a body-face delineation capable of producing an appropriate behavioural response based on the location and tissue origin of a noxious stimulus.
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21
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Abstract
The frontal lobe is crucial and contributes to controlling truncal motion, postural responses, and maintaining equilibrium and locomotion. The rich repertoire of frontal gait disorders gives some indication of this complexity. For human walking, it is necessary to simultaneously achieve at least two tasks, such as maintaining a bipedal upright posture and locomotion. Particularly, postural control plays an extremely significant role in enabling the subject to maintain stable gait behaviors to adapt to the environment. To achieve these requirements, the frontal cortex (1) uses cognitive information from the parietal, temporal, and occipital cortices, (2) creates plans and programs of gait behaviors, and (3) acts on the brainstem and spinal cord, where the core posture-gait mechanisms exist. Moreover, the frontal cortex enables one to achieve a variety of gait patterns in response to environmental changes by switching gait patterns from automatic routine to intentionally controlled and learning the new paradigms of gait strategy via networks with the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and limbic structures. This chapter discusses the role of each area of the frontal cortex in behavioral control and attempts to explain how frontal lobe controls walking with special reference to postural control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Takakusaki
- Department of Physiology, Division of Neuroscience, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan.
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22
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Kearney BE, Lanius RA. The brain-body disconnect: A somatic sensory basis for trauma-related disorders. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1015749. [PMID: 36478879 PMCID: PMC9720153 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1015749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the manifestation of trauma in the body is a phenomenon well-endorsed by clinicians and traumatized individuals, the neurobiological underpinnings of this manifestation remain unclear. The notion of somatic sensory processing, which encompasses vestibular and somatosensory processing and relates to the sensory systems concerned with how the physical body exists in and relates to physical space, is introduced as a major contributor to overall regulatory, social-emotional, and self-referential functioning. From a phylogenetically and ontogenetically informed perspective, trauma-related symptomology is conceptualized to be grounded in brainstem-level somatic sensory processing dysfunction and its cascading influences on physiological arousal modulation, affect regulation, and higher-order capacities. Lastly, we introduce a novel hierarchical model bridging somatic sensory processes with limbic and neocortical mechanisms regulating an individual's emotional experience and sense of a relational, agentive self. This model provides a working framework for the neurobiologically informed assessment and treatment of trauma-related conditions from a somatic sensory processing perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breanne E. Kearney
- Department of Neuroscience, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Ruth A. Lanius
- Department of Neuroscience, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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Woyach V, Sherman K, Hillard CJ, Hopp FA, Hogan QH, Dean C. Fatty acid amide hydrolase activity in the dorsal periaqueductal gray attenuates neuropathic pain and associated dysautonomia. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2022; 323:R749-R762. [PMID: 36154489 PMCID: PMC9639763 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00073.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The complexity of neuropathic pain and its associated comorbidities, including dysautonomia, make it difficult to treat. Overlap of anatomical regions and pharmacology of sympathosensory systems in the central nervous system (CNS) provide targets for novel treatment strategies. The dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) is an integral component of both the descending pain modulation system and the acute stress response and is critically involved in both analgesia and the regulation of sympathetic activity. Local manipulation of the endocannabinoid signaling system holds great promise to provide analgesia without excessive adverse effects and also influence autonomic output. Inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) increases brain concentrations of the endocannabinoid N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and reduces pain-related behaviors in neuropathic pain models. Neuropathic hyperalgesia and reduced sympathetic tone are associated with increased FAAH activity in the dPAG, which suggests the hypothesis that inhibition of FAAH in the dPAG will normalize pain sensation and autonomic function in neuropathic pain. To test this hypothesis, the effects of systemic or intra-dPAG FAAH inhibition on hyperalgesia and dysautonomia developed after spared nerve injury (SNI) were assessed in male and female rats. Administration of the FAAH inhibitor PF-3845 into the dPAG reduces hyperalgesia behavior and the decrease in sympathetic tone induced by SNI. Prior administration of the CB1 receptor antagonist AM281, attenuated the antihyperalgesic and sympathetic effects of FAAH inhibition. No sex differences were identified. These data support an integrative role for AEA/CB1 receptor signaling in the dPAG contributing to the regulation of both hyperalgesia behavior and altered sympathetic tone in neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Woyach
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Research Service, Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee Wisconsin
| | - Katherine Sherman
- Research Service, Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee Wisconsin
| | - Cecilia J Hillard
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Francis A Hopp
- Research Service, Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee Wisconsin
| | - Quinn H Hogan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Research Service, Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee Wisconsin
| | - Caron Dean
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Research Service, Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee Wisconsin
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Johnson SB, Lingg RT, Skog TD, Hinz DC, Romig-Martin SA, Viau V, Narayanan NS, Radley JJ. Activity in a prefrontal-periaqueductal gray circuit overcomes behavioral and endocrine features of the passive coping stress response. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2210783119. [PMID: 36306326 PMCID: PMC9636920 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2210783119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The question of how the brain links behavioral and biological features of defensive responses has remained elusive. The importance of this problem is underscored by the observation that behavioral passivity in stress coping is associated with elevations in glucocorticoid hormones, and each may carry risks for susceptibility to a host of stress-related diseases. Past work implicates the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in the top-down regulation of stress-related behaviors; however, it is unknown whether such changes have the capacity to buffer against the longer-lasting biological consequences associated with aversive experiences. Using the shock probe defensive burying test in rats to naturalistically measure behavioral and endocrine features of coping, we observed that the active behavioral component of stress coping is associated with increases in activity along a circuit involving the caudal mPFC and midbrain dorsolateral periaqueductal gray (PAG). Optogenetic manipulations of the caudal mPFC-to-dorsolateral PAG pathway bidirectionally modulated active (escape and defensive burying) behaviors, distinct from a rostral mPFC-ventrolateral PAG circuit that instead limited passive (immobility) behavior. Strikingly, under conditions that biased rats toward a passive coping response set, including exaggerated stress hormonal output and increased immobility, excitation of the caudal mPFC-dorsolateral PAG projection significantly attenuated each of these features. These results lend insight into how the brain coordinates response features to overcome passive coping and may be of importance for understanding how activated neural systems promote stress resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane B. Johnson
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Ryan T. Lingg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Timothy D. Skog
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Dalton C. Hinz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Sara A. Romig-Martin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Victor Viau
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2, Canada
| | - Nandakumar S. Narayanan
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
- Department of Neurology, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Jason J. Radley
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
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Roberts CJ, Hopp FA, Hogan QH, Dean C. Anandamide in the dorsal periaqueductal gray inhibits sensory input without a correlation to sympathoexcitation. NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2022; 12:100104. [PMID: 36531614 PMCID: PMC9755024 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2022.100104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
There is growing literature supporting cannabinoids as a potential therapeutic for pain conditions. The development of chronic pain has been associated with reduced concentrations of the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide (AEA) in the midbrain dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG), and microinjections of synthetic cannabinoids into the dPAG are antinociceptive. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine the role of the dPAG in cannabinoid-mediated sensory inhibition. Given that cannabinoids in the dPAG also elicit sympathoexcitation, a secondary goal was to assess coordination between sympathetic and antinociceptive responses. AEA was microinjected into the dPAG while recording single unit activity of wide dynamic range (WDR) dorsal horn neurons (DHNs) evoked by high intensity mechanical stimulation of the hindpaw, concurrently with renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), in anesthetized male rats. AEA microinjected into the dPAG decreased evoked DHN activity (n = 24 units), for half of which AEA also elicited sympathoexcitation. AEA actions were mediated by cannabinoid 1 receptors as confirmed by local pretreatment with the cannabinoid receptor antagonist AM281. dPAG microinjection of the synaptic excitant DL-homocysteic acid (DLH) also decreased evoked DHN activity (n = 27 units), but in all cases this was accompanied by sympathoexcitation. Thus, sensory inhibition elicited from the dPAG is not exclusively linked with sympathoexcitation, suggesting discrete neuronal circuits. The rostrocaudal location of sites may affect evoked responses as AEA produced sensory inhibition without sympathetic effects at 86 % of caudal compared to 25 % of rostral sites, supporting anatomically distinct neurocircuits. These data indicate that spatially selective manipulation of cannabinoid signaling could provide analgesia without potentially harmful autonomic activation.
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Key Words
- AEA, N-arachidonylethanolamine, anandamide
- Antinociception
- CB1R, cannabinoid type one receptor
- CV, cardiovascular
- Cannabinoid
- DHN, dorsal horn neuron
- DLH, DL-homocysteic acid
- Dorsal horn
- FAAH, fatty acid amide hydrolase
- GPCR, G protein-coupled receptor
- IML, intermediolateral cell column
- MAP, mean arterial pressure
- NTS, nucleus tractus solitarius
- PAG, periaqueductal gray
- PPAR, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor
- RSNA, renal sympathetic nerve activity
- RVLM, rostral ventrolateral medulla
- RVMM, rostral ventromedial medulla
- Rat
- SIA, stress-induced analgesia
- SNS, sympathetic nervous system
- Sympathetic nervous system
- TRPV1, transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1
- WDR, wide dynamic range
- dPAG, dorsal periaqueductal gray
- vPAG, ventral periaqueductal gray
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Roberts
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA,Department of Anesthesiology, Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53295, USA
| | - Francis A. Hopp
- Department of Anesthesiology, Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53295, USA
| | - Quinn H. Hogan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA,Department of Anesthesiology, Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53295, USA
| | - Caron Dean
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA,Department of Anesthesiology, Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53295, USA,Corresponding author at: Department of Anesthesiology, Research Service 151, Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53295, USA.
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Smith JA, Eikenberry SA, Scott KA, Baumer-Harrison C, de Lartigue G, de Kloet AD, Krause EG. Oxytocin and cardiometabolic interoception: Knowing oneself affects ingestive and social behaviors. Appetite 2022; 175:106054. [PMID: 35447163 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Maintaining homeostasis while navigating one's environment involves accurately assessing and interacting with external stimuli while remaining consciously in tune with internal signals such as hunger and thirst. Both atypical social interactions and unhealthy eating patterns emerge as a result of dysregulation in factors that mediate the prioritization and attention to salient stimuli. Oxytocin is an evolutionarily conserved peptide that regulates attention to exteroceptive and interoceptive stimuli in a social environment by functioning in the brain as a modulatory neuropeptide to control social behavior, but also in the periphery as a hormone acting at oxytocin receptors (Oxtr) expressed in the heart, gut, and peripheral ganglia. Specialized sensory afferent nerve endings of Oxtr-expressing nodose ganglia cells transmit cardiometabolic signals via the Vagus nerve to integrative regions in the brain that also express Oxtr(s). These brain regions are influenced by vagal sensory pathways and coordinate with external events such as those demanding attention to social stimuli, thus the sensations related to cardiometabolic function and social interactions are influenced by oxytocin signaling. This review investigates the literature supporting the idea that oxytocin mediates the interoception of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems, and that the modulation of this awareness likewise influences social cognition. These concepts are then considered in relation to Autism Spectrum Disorder, exploring how atypical social behavior is comorbid with cardiometabolic dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A Smith
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sophia A Eikenberry
- Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Karen A Scott
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Caitlin Baumer-Harrison
- Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Guillaume de Lartigue
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Annette D de Kloet
- Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Eric G Krause
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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Kirjavainen A, Singh P, Lahti L, Seja P, Lelkes Z, Makkonen A, Kilpinen S, Ono Y, Salminen M, Aitta-Aho T, Stenberg T, Molchanova S, Achim K, Partanen J. Gata2, Nkx2-2 and Skor2 form a transcription factor network regulating development of a midbrain GABAergic neuron subtype with characteristics of REM-sleep regulatory neurons. Development 2022; 149:275960. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.200937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The midbrain reticular formation (MRF) is a mosaic of diverse GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons that have been associated with a variety of functions, including sleep regulation. However, the molecular characteristics and development of MRF neurons are poorly understood. As the transcription factor, Gata2 is required for the development of all GABAergic neurons derived from the embryonic mouse midbrain, we hypothesized that the genes expressed downstream of Gata2 could contribute to the diversification of GABAergic neuron subtypes in this brain region. Here, we show that Gata2 is required for the expression of several GABAergic lineage-specific transcription factors, including Nkx2-2 and Skor2, which are co-expressed in a restricted group of post-mitotic GABAergic precursors in the MRF. Both Gata2 and Nkx2-2 function is required for Skor2 expression in GABAergic precursors. In the adult mouse and rat midbrain, Nkx2-2-and Skor2-expressing GABAergic neurons locate at the boundary of the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray and the MRF, an area containing REM-off neurons regulating REM sleep. In addition to the characteristic localization, Skor2+ cells increase their activity upon REM-sleep inhibition, send projections to the dorsolateral pons, a region associated with sleep control, and are responsive to orexins, consistent with the known properties of midbrain REM-off neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kirjavainen
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Parul Singh
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Laura Lahti
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Patricia Seja
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Zoltan Lelkes
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 2 Department of Physiology, PO Box 63 , , Helsinki , Finland
- University of Szeged 3 Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine , , Szeged , Hungary
| | - Aki Makkonen
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 4 Department of Pharmacology, PO Box 63 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Sami Kilpinen
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Yuichi Ono
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, Integrated Cell Biology, KAN Research Institute 5 , 6-8-2 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047 , Japan
| | - Marjo Salminen
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 6 Department of Veterinary Biosciences, PO Box 66 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Teemu Aitta-Aho
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 4 Department of Pharmacology, PO Box 63 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Tarja Stenberg
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 2 Department of Physiology, PO Box 63 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Svetlana Molchanova
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Kaia Achim
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Juha Partanen
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
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28
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Robertson RV, Crawford LS, Meylakh N, Macey PM, Macefield VG, Keay KA, Henderson LA. Regional hypothalamic, amygdala, and midbrain periaqueductal gray matter recruitment during acute pain in awake humans: A 7-Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Neuroimage 2022; 259:119408. [PMID: 35752415 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past two decades, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have explored brain activation patterns during acute noxious stimuli. Whilst these human investigations have detailed changes in primarily cortical regions, they have generally not explored discrete changes within small brain areas that are critical in driving behavioural, autonomic, and endocrine responses to pain, such as within subregions of the hypothalamus, amygdala, and midbrain periaqueductal gray matter (PAG). Ultra-high field (7-Tesla) MRI provides enough signal-to-noise at high spatial resolutions to investigate activation patterns within these small brain regions during acute noxious stimulation in awake humans. In this study we used 7T functional MRI to concentrate on hypothalamic, amygdala, and PAG signal changes during acute noxious orofacial stimuli. Noxious heat stimuli were applied in three separate fMRI scans to three adjacent sites on the face in 16 healthy control participants (7 females). Images were processed using SPM12 and custom software, and blood oxygen level dependent signal changes within the hypothalamus, amygdala, and PAG assessed. We identified altered activity within eight unique subregions of the hypothalamus, four unique subregions of the amygdala, and a single region in the lateral PAG. Specifically, within the hypothalamus and amygdala, signal intensity largely decreased during noxious stimulation, and increased in the lateral PAG. Furthermore, we found sex-related differences in discrete regions of the hypothalamus and amygdala. This study reveals that the activity of discrete nuclei during acute noxious thermal stimulation in awake humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca V Robertson
- School of Medical Sciences (Neuroscience), Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, 2006, Australia
| | - Lewis S Crawford
- School of Medical Sciences (Neuroscience), Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, 2006, Australia
| | - Noemi Meylakh
- School of Medical Sciences (Neuroscience), Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, 2006, Australia
| | - Paul M Macey
- UCLA School of Nursing and Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | | | - Kevin A Keay
- School of Medical Sciences (Neuroscience), Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, 2006, Australia
| | - Luke A Henderson
- School of Medical Sciences (Neuroscience), Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, 2006, Australia.
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Sosa MK, Boorman DC, Keay KA. Sciatic nerve injury rebalances the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in rats with persistent changes to their social behaviours. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13131. [PMID: 35487591 PMCID: PMC9286784 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Increased glucocorticoids characterise acute pain responses, but not the chronic pain state, suggesting specific modifications to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis preventing the persistent nature of chronic pain from elevating basal glucocorticoid levels. Individuals with chronic pain mount normal HPA-axis responses to acute stressors, indicating a rebalancing of the circuits underpinning these responses. Preclinical models of chronic neuropathic pain generally recapitulate these clinical observations, but few studies have considered that the underlying neuroendocrine circuitry may be altered. Additionally, individual differences in the behavioural outcomes of these pain models, which are strikingly similar to the range of behavioural subpopulations that manifest in response to stress, threat and motivational cues, may also be reflected in divergent patterns of HPA-axis activity, which characterises these other behavioural subpopulations. We investigated the effects of sciatic nerve chronic constriction injury (CCI) on adrenocortical and hypothalamic markers of HPA-axis activity in the subpopulation of rats showing persistent changes in social interactions after CCI (Persistent Effect) and compared them with rats that do not show these changes (No Effect). Basal plasma corticosterone did not change after CCI and did not differ between groups. However, adrenocortical sensitivity to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) diverged between these groups. No Effect rats showed large increases in basal plasma ACTH with no change in adrenocortical melanocortin 2 receptor (MC2 R) expression, whereas Persistent Effect rats showed modest decreases in plasma ACTH and large increases in MC2 R expression. In the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus of Persistent Effect rats, single labelling revealed significantly increased numbers of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) +ve and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) +ve neurons. Double-labelling revealed fewer GR +ve CRF +ve neurons, suggesting a decreased hypothalamic sensitivity of CRF neurons to circulating corticosterone in Persistent Effect rats. We suggest that in addition to rebalancing the HPA-axis, the increased CRF expression in Persistent Effect rats contributes to changes in complex behaviours, and in particular social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Karmina Sosa
- School of Medical Sciences and the Brain and Mind CentreThe University of SydneyCamperdownNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Damien C. Boorman
- School of Medical Sciences and the Brain and Mind CentreThe University of SydneyCamperdownNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Kevin A. Keay
- School of Medical Sciences and the Brain and Mind CentreThe University of SydneyCamperdownNew South WalesAustralia
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30
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Sesa-Ashton G, Wong R, McCarthy B, Datta S, Henderson LA, Dawood T, Macefield VG. Stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex modulates muscle sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure in humans. Cereb Cortex Commun 2022; 3:tgac017. [PMID: 35559424 PMCID: PMC9086585 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgac017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) controls the diameter of arterioles in skeletalmuscle, contributing importantly to the beat-to-beat regulation of blood pressure (BP). Although brain imaging studies have shown that bursts of MSNA originate in the rostral ventrolateral medulla, other subcortical and cortical structures-including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC)-contribute. Hypothesis We tested the hypothesis that MSNA and BP could be modulated by stimulating the dlPFC. Method dlPFC. In 22 individuals MSNA was recorded via microelectrodes inserted into the common peroneal nerve, together with continuous BP, electrocardiographic, and respiration.Stimulation of the right (n=22) or left dlPFC (n=10) was achieved using transcranial alternating current (tcACS; +2 to -2mA, 0.08 Hz,100 cycles), applied between the nasion and electrodes over the F3 or F4 EEG sites on the scalp. Results Sinusoidal stimulation of either dlPFC caused cyclicmodulation of MSNA, BP and heart rate, and a significant increase in BP. Conclusion We have shown, for the first time, that tcACS of the dlPFC in awake humans causes partial entrainment of MSNA, heart rate and BP, arguing for an important role of this higher-level cortical area in the control of cardiovascular function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianni Sesa-Ashton
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Human Autonomic Neurophysiology, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Rebecca Wong
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Human Autonomic Neurophysiology, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Brendan McCarthy
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Human Autonomic Neurophysiology, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Sudipta Datta
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Human Autonomic Neurophysiology, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Luke A Henderson
- School of Medical Sciences (Neuroscience), Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Tye Dawood
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Human Autonomic Neurophysiology, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Vaughan G Macefield
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Human Autonomic Neurophysiology, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
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31
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Carli G, Farabollini F. Neural circuits of fear and defensive behavior. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2022; 271:51-69. [PMID: 35397895 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Innate fear-related behavioral responses have evolved as strategies for survival. The neural circuits responsible for defensive responses, studied mainly in rodents, have been substantially preserved across evolution. Amygdala collects sensory information (visual, auditory and olfactory) in the cortical division and conveys it to the striatal output division. Distinct amygdala nuclei/subnuclei are activated by different fearful stimuli, such as exposure to a predator or to an aggressive conspecific. The same stimuli segregation is observed in downstream structures, i.e., hypothalamus and PAG. In guinea pigs, the circuits underlying Tonic Immobility (TI) and freezing in response to a natural predator, have been mapped in different subnuclei of the same amygdala area. In the PAG circuits, defensive responses are differentially represented along the dorso-ventral and rostro-caudal axis. The coordination of behavioral, anti-nociceptive and autonomic responses is due to the overlapping of the involved neurons in longitudinal columns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giancarlo Carli
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
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32
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Hata Y, Shimizu T, Zou S, Yamamoto M, Shimizu Y, Ono H, Aratake T, Shimizu S, Higashi Y, Shimizu N, Karashima T, Saito M. Stimulation of brain corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type1 facilitates the rat micturition via brain glutamatergic receptors. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 607:54-59. [PMID: 35366544 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.03.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), a representative stress-related neuropeptide, in the central nervous system reportedly both facilitates and suppresses the micturition, therefore, roles of central CRF in regulation of the micturition are still controversial. In this study, we investigated (1) effects of intracerebroventricularly (icv)-administered CRF on the micturition, and (2) brain CRF receptor subtypes (CRFR1/CRFR2) and glutamatergic receptors (NMDA/AMPA subtypes) involved in the CRF-induced effects in male Wistar rats under urethane anesthesia. Intercontraction intervals (ICI), and maximal voiding pressure (MVP), were evaluated by continuous cystometry 45 min before CRF administration or intracerebroventricular pretreatment with other drugs as follows and 3 h after CRF administration. Single-voided volume (Vv), post-voiding residual volume (Rv), bladder capacity (BC), and voiding efficiency (VE) were evaluated by single cystometry 60 min before CRF administration and 60-120 min after the administration. Icv-administered CRF reduced ICI, Vv, and BC without changing MVP, Rv, or VE. The CRF-induced ICI reduction was attenuated by icv-pretreated CP154526 (CRFR1 antagonist), MK-801 (NMDA receptor antagonist), and DNQX (AMPA receptor antagonist), but not by K41498 (CRFR2 antagonist). These results indicate that stimulation of brain CRFR1 can be involved in facilitation of the rat micturition via brain NMDA/AMPA receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurika Hata
- Department of Pharmacology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan; Center for Innovative and Translational Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan
| | - Takahiro Shimizu
- Department of Pharmacology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan.
| | - Suo Zou
- Department of Pharmacology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan
| | - Masaki Yamamoto
- Department of Pediatrics, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan
| | - Yohei Shimizu
- Department of Pharmacology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan; Center for Innovative and Translational Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan
| | - Hideaki Ono
- Department of Pharmacology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan; Center for Innovative and Translational Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan
| | - Takaaki Aratake
- Department of Pharmacology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan; Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan
| | - Shogo Shimizu
- Department of Pharmacology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan
| | - Youichirou Higashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan
| | - Nobutaka Shimizu
- Pelvic Floor Center, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan
| | - Takashi Karashima
- Department of Urology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan
| | - Motoaki Saito
- Department of Pharmacology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan
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El-Sayed R, Fauchon C, Kim JA, Firouzian S, Osborne NR, Besik A, Mills EP, Bhatia A, Davis KD. The Potential Clinical Utility of Pressure-Based vs. Heat-Based Paradigms to Measure Conditioned Pain Modulation in Healthy Individuals and Those With Chronic Pain. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2022; 2:784362. [PMID: 35295516 PMCID: PMC8915758 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2021.784362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) is a physiological measure thought to reflect an individual's endogenous pain modulation system. CPM varies across individuals and provides insight into chronic pain pathophysiology. There is growing evidence that CPM may help predict individual pain treatment outcome. However, paradigm variabilities and practical issues have impeded widespread clinical adoption of CPM assessment. This study aimed to compare two CPM paradigms in people with chronic pain and healthy individuals. A total of 30 individuals (12 chronic pain, 18 healthy) underwent two CPM paradigms. The heat CPM paradigm acquired pain intensity ratings evoked by a test stimulus (TS) applied before and during the conditioning stimulus (CS). The pressure CPM paradigm acquired continuous pain intensity ratings of a gradually increasing TS, before and during CS. Pain intensity was rated from 0 (no pain) to 100 (worst pain imaginable); Pain50 is the stimulus level for a response rated 50. Heat and pressure CPM were calculated as a change in TS pain intensity ratings at Pain50, where negative CPM scores indicate pain inhibition. We also determined CPM in the pressure paradigm as change in pressure pain detection threshold (PDT). We found that in healthy individuals the CPM effect was significantly more inhibitory using the pressure paradigm than the heat paradigm. The pressure CPM effect was also significantly more inhibitory when based on changes at Pain50 than at PDT. However, in individuals with chronic pain there was no significant difference in pressure CPM compared to heat or PDT CPM. There was no significant correlation between clinical pain measures (painDETECT and Brief Pain Inventory) and paradigm type (heat vs. pressure), although heat-based CPM and painDETECT scores showed a trend. Importantly, the pressure paradigm could be administered in less time than the heat paradigm. Thus, our study indicates that in healthy individuals, interpretation of CPM findings should consider potential modality-dependent effects. However, in individuals with chronic pain, either heat or pressure paradigms can similarly be used to assess CPM. Given the practical advantages of the pressure paradigm (e.g., short test time, ease of use), we propose this approach to be well-suited for clinical adoption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rima El-Sayed
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Krembil Brain Institute, Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Camille Fauchon
- Krembil Brain Institute, Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Junseok A Kim
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Krembil Brain Institute, Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Shahrzad Firouzian
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Krembil Brain Institute, Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Natalie R Osborne
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Krembil Brain Institute, Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ariana Besik
- Krembil Brain Institute, Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Emily P Mills
- Krembil Brain Institute, Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anuj Bhatia
- Krembil Brain Institute, Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Karen D Davis
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Krembil Brain Institute, Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Bengoetxea de Tena I, Moreno-Rodríguez M, Llorente-Ovejero A, Monge-Benito S, Martínez-Gardeazabal J, Onandia-Hinchado I, Manuel I, Giménez-Llort L, Rodríguez-Puertas R. HANDLING AND NOVEL OBJECT RECOGNITION MODULATE FEAR RESPONSE AND ENDOCANNABINOID SIGNALING IN NUCLEUS BASALIS MAGNOCELLULARIS. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 55:1532-1546. [PMID: 35266590 PMCID: PMC9313565 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Storage of aversive memories is of utmost importance for survival, allowing animals to avoid upcoming similar stimuli. However, without reinforcement, the learned avoidance response gradually decreases over time. Although the molecular mechanisms controlling this extinction process are not well known, there is evidence that the endocannabinoid system plays a key role through CB1 receptor‐mediated modulation of cholinergic signaling. In this study, we measured fear extinction throughout 7 months using naïve rats, assessed in passive avoidance (PA) test in a non‐reinforced manner. Then, we evaluated the effect of gentle handling and non‐aversive novel object recognition test (NORT) on the extinction and expression of fear memories by measuring passive avoidance responses. Neurochemical correlates were analyzed by functional autoradiography for cannabinoid, cholinergic, and dopaminergic receptors. Despite results showing a gradual decrease of passive avoidance response, it did not fully disappear even after 7 months, indicating the robustness of this process. Meanwhile, in rats that received gentle handling or performed NORT after receiving the PA aversive stimulus, extinction occurred within a week. In contrast, gentle handling performed before receiving the aversive stimulus exacerbated fear expression and triggered escape response in PA. The neurochemical analysis showed increased cannabinoid and cholinergic activity in the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) in rats that had performed only PA, as opposed to rats that received gentle handling before PA. Additionally, a correlation between CB1 mediated‐signaling in the NBM and freezing in PA was found, suggesting that the endocannabinoid system might be responsible for modulating fear response induced by aversive memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Bengoetxea de Tena
- Dept. Pharmacology, Fac. of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - M Moreno-Rodríguez
- Dept. Pharmacology, Fac. of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - A Llorente-Ovejero
- Dept. Pharmacology, Fac. of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - S Monge-Benito
- Dept. Audiovisual Communication and Advertising, Fac. of Social Sciences and Communication, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - J Martínez-Gardeazabal
- Dept. Pharmacology, Fac. of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - I Onandia-Hinchado
- Dept. Clinical and Health Psychology and Research Methodology, Fac. of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - I Manuel
- Dept. Pharmacology, Fac. of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain.,Neurodegenerative Diseases, BioCruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - L Giménez-Llort
- Dept. Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine & Institute of Neuroscience, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - R Rodríguez-Puertas
- Dept. Pharmacology, Fac. of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain.,Neurodegenerative Diseases, BioCruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain
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35
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Ma Q. A functional subdivision within the somatosensory system and its implications for pain research. Neuron 2022; 110:749-769. [PMID: 35016037 PMCID: PMC8897275 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Somatosensory afferents are traditionally classified by soma size, myelination, and their response specificity to external and internal stimuli. Here, we propose the functional subdivision of the nociceptive somatosensory system into two branches. The exteroceptive branch detects external threats and drives reflexive-defensive reactions to prevent or limit injury. The interoceptive branch senses the disruption of body integrity, produces tonic pain with strong aversive emotional components, and drives self-caring responses toward to the injured region to reduce suffering. The central thesis behind this functional subdivision comes from a reflection on the dilemma faced by the pain research field, namely, the use of reflexive-defensive behaviors as surrogate assays for interoceptive tonic pain. The interpretation of these assays is now being challenged by the discovery of distinct but interwoven circuits that drive exteroceptive versus interoceptive types of behaviors, with the conflation of these two components contributing partially to the poor translation of therapies from preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiufu Ma
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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36
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Impaired visceral pain-related functions of the midbrain periaqueductal gray in rats with colitis. Brain Res Bull 2022; 182:12-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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37
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Camilleri C, Fogle CS, O'Brien KG, Sammut S. The Impact of COVID-19 and Associated Interventions on Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Sample of University Students. Front Psychiatry 2022; 12:801859. [PMID: 35153865 PMCID: PMC8825780 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.801859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mental health issues have continued to rise globally, including among university students. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the previously existing and concerning problem. Given that coping mechanisms have been proposed to mediate the relationship between stressors and mental health, the aim of our cross-sectional study was to investigate the mediation of coping mechanisms on the relationship between the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health. METHODS University students (≥18 years old; N = 676; 31% male, 69% female) were administered an anonymous survey addressing current demographics, COVID-19 pandemic-related demographics, personal experiences, sources of stress and perceived effect on mental health, politics, sources of news/information, and various pre-validated scales addressing mental health (DASS-21), the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (IES-R) and coping strategies utilized (Brief COPE). RESULTS Our results indicate a substantial proportion of our sample reporting scores in the severe and extremely severe DASS-21 categories, in addition to ~50% reporting a perceived deterioration in mental health relative to pre-COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, a substantial proportion of students reported IES-R scores at levels where PTSD is of clinical concern. Alarmingly, a significant proportion of females (~15%) reported scores reflecting potential long-term PTSD-related implications. Females tended to be more severely impacted in all mental health measures. Mediation analysis indicated that while dysfunctional coping mediated the relationship between the impact of the event (COVID-19 pandemic) and all three mental health outcomes, overall, this was not the case with the positive coping strategies. CONCLUSION Our study appears to indicate a reduced buffering influence on negative mental health outcomes by the positive coping mechanisms investigated in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and secondary interventions implemented. While the findings of this study pertain specifically to university students, they corroborate the existing extensive body of research (from physiological to behavioral, preclinical to clinical) pertaining to the response associated with major stressful events at every level of society. In this regard, the findings imply the necessity for health and other authorities, tasked with safeguarding public well-being, to avoid reactive interventions that do not appropriately balance the risks and benefits, potentially exacerbating pre-existing psychopathologies and compromising social order.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Stephen Sammut
- Department of Psychology, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Steubenville, OH, United States
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38
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Mandwie M, Piper JA, Gorrie CA, Keay KA, Musumeci G, Al-Badri G, Castorina A. Rapid GFAP and Iba1 expression changes in the female rat brain following spinal cord injury. Neural Regen Res 2022; 17:378-385. [PMID: 34269213 PMCID: PMC8463994 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.317982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence suggests that rapid changes to supporting glia may predispose individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) to such comorbidities. Here, we interrogated the expression of astrocyte- and microglial-specific markers glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) in the rat brain in the first 24 hours following SCI. Female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent thoracic laminectomy; half of the rats received a mild contusion injury at the level of the T10 vertebral body (SCI group), the other half did not (Sham group). Twenty-four hours post-surgery the amygdala, periaqueductal grey, prefrontal cortex, hypothalamus, lateral thalamus, hippocampus (dorsal and ventral) in rats were collected. GFAP and Iba1 mRNA and protein levels were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. In SCI rats, GFAP mRNA and protein expression increased in the amygdala and hypothalamus. In contrast, gene and protein expression decreased in the thalamus and dorsal hippocampus. Interestingly, Iba1 transcripts and proteins were significantly diminished only in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus, where gene expression diminished. These findings demonstrate that as early as 24 hours post-SCI there are region-specific disruptions of GFAP and Iba1 transcript and protein levels in higher brain regions. All procedures were approved by the University of Technology Sydney Institutional Animal Care and Ethics Committee (UTS ACEC13-0069).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mawj Mandwie
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (LCMN), School of Life Science, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jordan A Piper
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (LCMN), School of Life Science, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Catherine A Gorrie
- Neural Injury Research Unit, School of Life Science, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kevin A Keay
- School of Medical Sciences (Neuroscience), The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Giuseppe Musumeci
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Anatomy, Histology and Movement Sciences Section, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Ghaith Al-Badri
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (LCMN), School of Life Science, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alessandro Castorina
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (LCMN), School of Life Science, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney; School of Medical Sciences (Neuroscience), The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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39
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Meyer HC, Sangha S, Radley JJ, LaLumiere RT, Baratta MV. Environmental certainty influences the neural systems regulating responses to threat and stress. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:1037-1055. [PMID: 34673111 PMCID: PMC8642312 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Flexible calibration of threat responding in accordance with the environment is an adaptive process that allows an animal to avoid harm while also maintaining engagement of other goal-directed actions. This calibration process, referred to as threat response regulation, requires an animal to calculate the probability that a given encounter will result in a threat so they can respond accordingly. Here we review the neural correlates of two highly studied forms of threat response suppression: extinction and safety conditioning. We focus on how relative levels of certainty or uncertainty in the surrounding environment alter the acquisition and application of these processes. We also discuss evidence indicating altered threat response regulation following stress exposure, including enhanced fear conditioning, and disrupted extinction and safety conditioning. To conclude, we discuss research using an animal model of coping that examines the impact of stressor controllability on threat responding, highlighting the potential for previous experiences with control, or other forms of coping, to protect against the effects of future adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi C Meyer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Susan Sangha
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
| | - Jason J Radley
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Ryan T LaLumiere
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Michael V Baratta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80301, USA.
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40
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Guyenet PG, Stornetta RL. Rostral ventrolateral medulla, retropontine region and autonomic regulations. Auton Neurosci 2021; 237:102922. [PMID: 34814098 DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2021.102922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The rostral half of the ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and adjacent ventrolateral retropontine region (henceforth RVLMRP) have been divided into various sectors by neuroscientists interested in breathing or autonomic regulations. The RVLMRP regulates respiration, glycemia, vigilance and inflammation, in addition to blood pressure. It contains interoceptors that respond to acidification, hypoxia and intracranial pressure and its rostral end contains the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) which is the main central respiratory chemoreceptor. Acid detection by the RTN is an intrinsic property of the principal neurons that is enhanced by paracrine influences from surrounding astrocytes and CO2-dependent vascular constriction. RTN mediates the hypercapnic ventilatory response via complex projections to the respiratory pattern generator (CPG). The RVLM contributes to autonomic response patterns via differential recruitment of several subtypes of adrenergic (C1) and non-adrenergic neurons that directly innervate sympathetic and parasympathetic preganglionic neurons. The RVLM also innervates many brainstem and hypothalamic nuclei that contribute, albeit less directly, to autonomic responses. All lower brainstem noradrenergic clusters including the locus coeruleus are among these targets. Sympathetic tone to the circulatory system is regulated by subsets of presympathetic RVLM neurons whose activity is continuously restrained by the baroreceptors and modulated by the respiratory CPG. The inhibitory input from baroreceptors and the excitatory input from the respiratory CPG originate from neurons located in or close to the rhythm generating region of the respiratory CPG (preBötzinger complex).
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrice G Guyenet
- University of Virginia School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, 1340 Jefferson Park Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0735, USA.
| | - Ruth L Stornetta
- University of Virginia School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, 1340 Jefferson Park Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0735, USA.
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41
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Neural and behavioral correlates of human pain avoidance in participants with and without episodic migraine. Pain 2021; 163:1023-1034. [PMID: 34510134 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The innate motivation to avoid pain can be disrupted when individuals experience uncontrollable stress, such as pain. This can lead to maladaptive behaviors, including passivity, and negative affect. Despite its importance, motivational aspects of pain avoidance are understudied in humans and their neural mechanisms vastly unknown. Rodent models suggest an important role of the periaqueductal gray, but it is unknown whether it subserves a similar role in humans. Furthermore, it is unclear whether pain avoidance is associated with individual differences in pain coping. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, networks underlying pain avoidance behavior were examined in 32 participants with and without episodic migraine. Pain avoidance behavior was assessed using an adaptation of the incentive delay task. In each trial of the task, participants tried to avoid a painful stimulus and receive a nonpainful one instead while the difficulty to succeed varied across trials (3 difficulty levels: safe, easy, and difficult). After unsuccessful pain avoidance on the preceding trial, participants showed reduced pain avoidance behavior, especially in the difficult condition. This reduction in behavior was associated with higher helplessness scores only in participants with migraine. Higher helplessness in participants with migraine was further correlated with a stronger decrease in activation of cortical areas associated with motor behavior, attention, and memory after unsuccessful pain avoidance. Of these areas, specifically posterior parietal cortex activation predicted individual's pain avoidance behavior on the next trial. The results link individual pain coping capacity to patterns of neural activation associated with altered pain avoidance in patients with migraine.
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42
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de Kloet ER, Molendijk ML. Floating Rodents and Stress-Coping Neurobiology. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 90:e19-e21. [PMID: 34119316 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Edo Ronald de Kloet
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Marc L Molendijk
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
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43
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Sherman K, Woyach V, Eisenach JC, Hopp FA, Cao F, Hogan QH, Dean C. Heterogeneity in patterns of pain development after nerve injury in rats and the influence of sex. NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2021; 10:100069. [PMID: 34381929 PMCID: PMC8339380 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2021.100069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The genesis of neuropathic pain is complex, as sensory abnormalities may differ between patients with different or similar etiologies, suggesting mechanistic heterogeneity, a concept that is largely unexplored. Yet, data are usually grouped for analysis based on the assumption that they share the same underlying pathogenesis. Sex is a factor that may contribute to differences in pain responses. Neuropathic pain is more prevalent in female patients, but pre-clinical studies that can examine pain development in a controlled environment have typically failed to include female subjects. This study explored patterns of development of hyperalgesia-like behavior (HLB) induced by noxious mechanical stimulation in a neuropathic pain model (spared nerve injury, SNI) in both male and female rats, and autonomic dysfunction that is associated with chronic pain. HLB was analyzed across time, using both discrete mixture modeling and rules-based longitudinal clustering. Both methods identified similar groupings of hyperalgesia trajectories after SNI that were not evident when data were combined into groups by sex only. Within the same hyperalgesia development group, mixed models showed that development of HLB in females was delayed relative to males and reached a magnitude similar to or higher than males. The data also indicate that sympathetic tone (as indicated by heart rate variability) drops below pre-SNI level before or at the onset of development of HLB. This study classifies heterogeneity in individual development of HLB and identifies sexual dimorphism in the time course of development of neuropathic pain after nerve injury. Future studies addressing mechanisms underlying these differences could facilitate appropriate pain treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Sherman
- Research Division, Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53295, United States
| | - Victoria Woyach
- Research Division, Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53295, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin and Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53226, United States
| | - James C. Eisenach
- Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States
| | - Francis A. Hopp
- Research Division, Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53295, United States
| | - Freddy Cao
- College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53222, United States
| | - Quinn H. Hogan
- Research Division, Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53295, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin and Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53226, United States
| | - Caron Dean
- Research Division, Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53295, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin and Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53226, United States
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Mills EP, Keay KA, Henderson LA. Brainstem Pain-Modulation Circuitry and Its Plasticity in Neuropathic Pain: Insights From Human Brain Imaging Investigations. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2021; 2:705345. [PMID: 35295481 PMCID: PMC8915745 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2021.705345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute pain serves as a protective mechanism that alerts us to potential tissue damage and drives a behavioural response that removes us from danger. The neural circuitry critical for mounting this behavioural response is situated within the brainstem and is also crucial for producing analgesic and hyperalgesic responses. In particular, the periaqueductal grey, rostral ventromedial medulla, locus coeruleus and subnucleus reticularis dorsalis are important structures that directly or indirectly modulate nociceptive transmission at the primary nociceptive synapse. Substantial evidence from experimental animal studies suggests that plasticity within this system contributes to the initiation and/or maintenance of chronic neuropathic pain, and may even predispose individuals to developing chronic pain. Indeed, overwhelming evidence indicates that plasticity within this circuitry favours pro-nociception at the primary synapse in neuropathic pain conditions, a process that ultimately contributes to a hyperalgesic state. Although experimental animal investigations have been crucial in our understanding of the anatomy and function of the brainstem pain-modulation circuitry, it is vital to understand this system in acute and chronic pain states in humans so that more effective treatments can be developed. Recent functional MRI studies have identified a key role of this system during various analgesic and hyperalgesic responses including placebo analgesia, offset analgesia, attentional analgesia, conditioned pain modulation, central sensitisation and temporal summation. Moreover, recent MRI investigations have begun to explore brainstem pain-modulation circuitry plasticity in chronic neuropathic pain conditions and have identified altered grey matter volumes and functioning throughout the circuitry. Considering the findings from animal investigations, it is likely that these changes reflect a shift towards pro-nociception that ultimately contributes to the maintenance of neuropathic pain. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the human brain imaging investigations that have improved our understanding of the pain-modulation system in acute pain states and in neuropathic conditions. Our interpretation of the findings from these studies is often guided by the existing body of experimental animal literature, in addition to evidence from psychophysical investigations. Overall, understanding the plasticity of this system in human neuropathic pain conditions alongside the existing experimental animal literature will ultimately improve treatment options.
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Zangrandi L, Schmuckermair C, Ghareh H, Castaldi F, Heilbronn R, Zernig G, Ferraguti F, Ramos-Prats A. Loss of mGluR5 in D1 Receptor-Expressing Neurons Improves Stress Coping. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22157826. [PMID: 34360592 PMCID: PMC8346057 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22157826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 (mGluR5) has been proposed to play a crucial role in the selection and regulation of cognitive, affective, and emotional behaviors. However, the mechanisms by which these receptors mediate these effects remain largely unexplored. Here, we studied the role of mGluR5 located in D1 receptor-expressing (D1) neurons in the manifestation of different behavioral expressions. Mice with conditional knockout (cKO) of mGluR5 in D1 neurons (mGluR5D1 cKO) and littermate controls displayed similar phenotypical profiles in relation to memory expression, anxiety, and social behaviors. However, mGluR5D1 cKO mice presented different coping mechanisms in response to acute escapable or inescapable stress. mGluR5D1 cKO mice adopted an enhanced active stress coping strategy upon exposure to escapable stress in the two-way active avoidance (TWA) task and a greater passive strategy upon exposure to inescapable stress in the forced swim test (FST). In summary, this work provides evidence for a functional integration of the dopaminergic and glutamatergic system to mediate control over internal states upon stress exposure and directly implicates D1 neurons and mGluR5 as crucial mediators of behavioral stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Zangrandi
- Department of Neurology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany; (L.Z.); (R.H.)
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (C.S.); (F.C.); (F.F.)
| | - Claudia Schmuckermair
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (C.S.); (F.C.); (F.F.)
| | - Hussein Ghareh
- Department of Psychiatry 1, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (H.G.); (G.Z.)
| | - Federico Castaldi
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (C.S.); (F.C.); (F.F.)
| | - Regine Heilbronn
- Department of Neurology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany; (L.Z.); (R.H.)
| | - Gerald Zernig
- Department of Psychiatry 1, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (H.G.); (G.Z.)
| | - Francesco Ferraguti
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (C.S.); (F.C.); (F.F.)
| | - Arnau Ramos-Prats
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (C.S.); (F.C.); (F.F.)
- Correspondence:
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Peinkhofer C, Martial C, Cassol H, Laureys S, Kondziella D. The evolutionary origin of near-death experiences: a systematic investigation. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab132. [PMID: 34240053 PMCID: PMC8260963 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Near-death experiences are known from all parts of the world, various times and
numerous cultural backgrounds. This universality suggests that near-death
experiences may have a biological origin and purpose. Adhering to a
preregistered protocol, we investigate the hypothesis that thanatosis, aka
death-feigning, a last-resort defense mechanism in animals, is the evolutionary
origin of near-death experiences. We first show that thanatosis is a highly
preserved survival strategy occurring at all major nodes in a cladogram ranging
from insects to humans. We then show that humans under attack by animal, human
and ‘modern’ predators can experience both thanatosis and
near-death experiences, and we further show that the phenomenology and the
effects of the two overlap. In summary, we build a line of evidence suggesting
that thanatosis is the evolutionary foundation of near-death experiences and
that their shared biological purpose is the benefit of survival. We propose that
the acquisition of language enabled humans to transform these events from
relatively stereotyped death-feigning under predatory attacks into the rich
perceptions that form near-death experiences and extend to non-predatory
situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Peinkhofer
- Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Charlotte Martial
- Coma Science Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Liège 4000, Belgium
| | - Helena Cassol
- Coma Science Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Liège 4000, Belgium
| | - Steven Laureys
- Coma Science Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Liège 4000, Belgium
| | - Daniel Kondziella
- Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
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Hyporesponsivity to mu-opioid receptor agonism in the Wistar-Kyoto rat model of altered nociceptive responding associated with negative affective state. Pain 2021; 162:405-420. [PMID: 32826755 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Chronic pain is often comorbid with anxiety and depression, altering the level of perceived pain, which negatively affects therapeutic outcomes. The role of the endogenous mu-opioid receptor (MOP) system in pain-negative affect interactions and the influence of genetic background thereon are poorly understood. The inbred Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat, which mimics aspects of anxiety and depression, displays increased sensitivity (hyperalgesia) to noxious stimuli, compared with Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Here, we report that WKY rats are hyporesponsive to the antinociceptive effects of systemically administered MOP agonist morphine in the hot plate and formalin tests, compared with SD counterparts. Equivalent plasma morphine levels in the 2 rat strains suggested that these differences in morphine sensitivity were unlikely to be due to strain-related differences in morphine pharmacokinetics. Although MOP expression in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) did not differ between WKY and SD rats, the vlPAG was identified as a key locus for the hyporesponsivity to MOP agonism in WKY rats in the formalin test. Moreover, morphine-induced effects on c-Fos (a marker of neuronal activity) in regions downstream of the vlPAG, namely, the rostral ventromedial medulla and lumbar spinal dorsal horn, were blunted in the WKY rats. Together, these findings suggest that a deficit in the MOP-induced recruitment of the descending inhibitory pain pathway may underlie hyperalgesia to noxious inflammatory pain in the WKY rat strain genetically predisposed to negative affect.
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Liu C, Lee CY, Asher G, Cao L, Terakoshi Y, Cao P, Kobayakawa R, Kobayakawa K, Sakurai K, Liu Q. Posterior subthalamic nucleus (PSTh) mediates innate fear-associated hypothermia in mice. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2648. [PMID: 33976193 PMCID: PMC8113537 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22914-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural mechanisms of fear-associated thermoregulation remain unclear. Innate fear odor 2-methyl-2-thiazoline (2MT) elicits rapid hypothermia and elevated tail temperature, indicative of vasodilation-induced heat dissipation, in wild-type mice, but not in mice lacking Trpa1-the chemosensor for 2MT. Here we report that Trpa1-/- mice show diminished 2MT-evoked c-fos expression in the posterior subthalamic nucleus (PSTh), external lateral parabrachial subnucleus (PBel) and nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). Whereas tetanus toxin light chain-mediated inactivation of NTS-projecting PSTh neurons suppress, optogenetic activation of direct PSTh-rostral NTS pathway induces hypothermia and tail vasodilation. Furthermore, selective opto-stimulation of 2MT-activated, PSTh-projecting PBel neurons by capturing activated neuronal ensembles (CANE) causes hypothermia. Conversely, chemogenetic suppression of vGlut2+ neurons in PBel or PSTh, or PSTh-projecting PBel neurons attenuates 2MT-evoked hypothermia and tail vasodilation. These studies identify PSTh as a major thermoregulatory hub that connects PBel to NTS to mediate 2MT-evoked innate fear-associated hypothermia and tail vasodilation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Liu
- Peking University-Tsinghua University-NIBS Joint Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing, China
| | - Chia-Ying Lee
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Greg Asher
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Liqin Cao
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yuka Terakoshi
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Peng Cao
- National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research (TIMBR), Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Reiko Kobayakawa
- Department of Functional Neuroscience, Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ko Kobayakawa
- Department of Functional Neuroscience, Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Katsuyasu Sakurai
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
| | - Qinghua Liu
- National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing, China.
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research (TIMBR), Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
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Lawn T, Aman Y, Rukavina K, Sideris-Lampretsas G, Howard M, Ballard C, Ray Chaudhuri K, Malcangio M. Pain in the neurodegenerating brain: insights into pharmacotherapy for Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease. Pain 2021; 162:999-1006. [PMID: 33239526 PMCID: PMC7977618 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Lawn
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yahyah Aman
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo and Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
| | - Katarina Rukavina
- The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Parkinson Foundation Centre of Excellence, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - George Sideris-Lampretsas
- Wolfson Centre for Age Related Diseases, The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Howard
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Kallol Ray Chaudhuri
- The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Parkinson Foundation Centre of Excellence, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marzia Malcangio
- Wolfson Centre for Age Related Diseases, The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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50
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Drake RAR, Steel KA, Apps R, Lumb BM, Pickering AE. Loss of cortical control over the descending pain modulatory system determines the development of the neuropathic pain state in rats. eLife 2021; 10:e65156. [PMID: 33555256 PMCID: PMC7895525 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The loss of descending inhibitory control is thought critical to the development of chronic pain but what causes this loss in function is not well understood. We have investigated the dynamic contribution of prelimbic cortical neuronal projections to the periaqueductal grey (PrL-P) to the development of neuropathic pain in rats using combined opto- and chemogenetic approaches. We found PrL-P neurons to exert a tonic inhibitory control on thermal withdrawal thresholds in uninjured animals. Following nerve injury, ongoing activity in PrL-P neurons masked latent hypersensitivity and improved affective state. However, this function is lost as the development of sensory hypersensitivity emerges. Despite this loss of tonic control, opto-activation of PrL-P neurons at late post-injury timepoints could restore the anti-allodynic effects by inhibition of spinal nociceptive processing. We suggest that the loss of cortical drive to the descending pain modulatory system underpins the expression of neuropathic sensitisation after nerve injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert AR Drake
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | - Kenneth A Steel
- School of Biosciences, University of CardiffCardiffUnited States
| | - Richard Apps
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | - Bridget M Lumb
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | - Anthony E Pickering
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
- Bristol Anaesthesia, Pain & Critical Care Sciences, Bristol Medical School, Bristol Royal InfirmaryBristolUnited Kingdom
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